


Monochrome Darkness

by Nosferathi



Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Body Horror, Character Death, Crewmate Black, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Impostor White, M/M, Secret Relationship, Teasing, consuming flesh, crewmates are alien but humanoid, impostors are parasites, orange found dead, sensitive tendrils
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:01:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26917780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nosferathi/pseuds/Nosferathi
Summary: White recently turned into an impostor- and Black can't help but notice.
Relationships: Black/White (Among Us)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 110





	1. Crimson on your hands

**Author's Note:**

> I'm using Black/White in this, but the designs I had in mind were two ocs of mine; Cross & Medic (https://tinyurl.com/y364em2l)

The first thing he saw was a blinking red light. Startled awake, White- White? Sat up on his bed, clutching his head. Something was wrong, but he couldn't remember what. By the time his heart stopped pounding in his chest, the alarm went silent, and he slid out of bed, putting on his boots.

His legs were shaking while he did his best to reach the tiny bathroom of his quarters, and he stopped as soon as he saw his reflection in the mirror above the sink. Eyes. Too many of them. And, _god_ , teeth. They split his face in multiple directions, threatening to slash open his skin with every movement, every twitch of a muscle. He stared at the stranger in the glass, terrified and curious.

"Medic!"

Surprisingly, his fang didn't tear his flesh when he gasped, turning towards the door of his chambers. Swiftly, he slid on his gloves and helmet, taking his jacket with him to cover his black bodysuit as he got to the door.

The man calling for him took a step back when he opened it, and the name Cyan rang into the medic's mind.

"Please- come, quick, we found Orange's... He... He's at med bay."

The man seemed agitated, motioning White to follow him. By the time he finished buttoning up his jacket, they reached the medical area, Cyan practically pushing him inside. The smell of blood hit him quickly, filling his senses with crimson. Iron, stale meat, _death_. He shook his head and walked to the body. Well, what was left of it anyways.

"Poor bastard never saw it coming, I can say that much. We found him next to a wire box in electrical. Fuckin' hell."

The voice was deep and something reacted in White’s subconscious. Beside him was a tall, dark figure- literally, as they were all dressed in black, except for a cape of white fur draping their shoulders. _He's dangerous_ , his mind screamed. _Get away from him_. But he stood there, looking up at the taller man.

"So, doc. How fresh is he?"

White blinked under the helmet, turning his attention to the corpse. Fresh. His hands started moving without him noticing, and there he was, examining the body like it was natural. "Medic", Cyan called him. He was a doctor.

"Only a few hours. Must have been done at the beginning of the night shift."

His own voice surprised himself. He didn't even know how the hundreds of needles covering his face managed to move in a way to let a smooth sound come out of his... Mouths. Humidity started covering the inside of his visor, and a wet tongue licked it off. He shivered. What the fuck was going on.

"Tch. Can't even wait for the dead of night. I'll leave you to your new... Patient. Get rid of the body when you're done, then come report to me in my office."

With that, the taller man turned around and left the room, pushing Cyan by the low of his back to lead him away. 

"Black..." whispered White, something tugging in the back of his head. "Get rid of the body..."

Suddenly, everything seemed like too much. The eyes, the teeth, the tongue, the blood-

His eyes rolled in his sockets and the world was dark once again.

* * *

"It's unlocked."

White heard from inside the office, taking it as an invitation to come in. He closed the door behind him, taking in the sigh of the dim lit room. Everything seemed clear however; he didn't have much trouble seeing in the low light.

He took the few steps separating him from the massive desk displayed in front of a huge window, now standing in front of Black. The silence between them felt heavy on White's shoulders.

"So?"

"S-so?"

"The report."

"Ah- yes, uh..." he stopped himself from pulling his collar, a burst of nervous heat taking him. Black was slowly drumming the clawed tip of his gloves against the surface of the desk, forgiving but low on patience.

"Well, the murder was committed between nine and eleven pm. A single slice, across the body, and no other traces found means it must've been consumed on the scene. Probability of being another crew member: low to none. Probability of being an impostor..."

A wave of nausea caught him off guard, as he had to lean against the desk to avoid smashing his visor against the floor. Everything around him started spinning, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw Black slowly get up from his seat to stand above him. He felt his hand lay on the back of his neck, squeezing lightly, but still threatening. 

"Guess you didn't inspect too deep inside, hmm? Maybe you would've noticed the stuff I slipped in if you dug a bit more."

There was a dangerous edge in Black's tone, and White froze. Not that he could move anyways, his head was pounding and he felt the grip on his neck tighten.

"So tell me, Med. Why the fuck should I not throw your damn carcass out of my ship?"

White squeezed his eyes shut, trying to concentrate between the waves of pain that twisted his insides and made his mind scream. He didn't want to die- but he didn't want to kill either. He was a man of science. He helped people in pain. Orange was already dead when he... Disposed of his remains. And before that?

Before… He shivered once again, a cold sweat covering his entire body. The helmet felt much heavier than it was on his shoulders, and the hand on his neck slowly dug its claws in the collar of his bodysuit. His name was White. He was a doctor. He did not kill Orange. Black was dangerous… For impostors. Memories stretched and peeled themselves from his brain, flashing behind his eyes. He was an impostor, now. But he was still there, still himself, mostly. After a few minutes, the sickness retreated, the pain passed. Black was still towering over him, waiting for an answer.

"... Fuck, Black, you damn know I wouldn't kill anyone. I didn't lose my mind yet."

The release on his neck was a relief, but the next thing he felt made him grunt in pain. His back was now resting against the desk, Black's body pressing into his. He could see one of his eyes glow white under his dark visor, searching for something under his own. A cold shiver ran down his spine, alarms blaring in his mind. _Danger_. Then Black reached for his helmet, still pinning him down with his weight, and slowly pulled it up.

"Goddamn, White. What have you done to yourself?"

Unblinking eyes stared at the man who was now putting down the helmet. White didn't say a word, letting him take the view. His teeth moved ever so slightly at every breath he took, needles of ivory, some still coated in pink saliva. When he took the time to think about it, he didn't know where the tongue came from earlier; he did get his answer when the long tendril of flesh slowly slipped out from one of the cavities of his face, lolling out lazily. At that, he heard Black curse under his breath.

"I think they got me, Black. I guess I was not careful enough with the samples. I don't remember much from the past hours, but I'm pretty sure I didn't kill Orange."

His voice was somewhat soft, and this time he heard his teeth click gently against each other as he spoke. A simple nod acknowledged his words, and he was helped up by Black, who pressed his back against the closest wall and crossed his arms. Silence fell once again, White looking down at his feet. It was Black's voice who broke it this time, the edge now gone and replaced with a hint of both relief and guilt.

"I was afraid it wasn't you anymore. Most of them just get... Replaced. I had to take precautions."

A new tension started to build in the room, and White picked up his helmet to put it back on. Black didn't move as he got closer to him, until he could wrap his arms around his waist, closing his eyes.

"I know, Blacky. There's nothing more important than the safety of the crew. I'm... Glad I'm still there. Glad you can understand."

A sigh escaped him as he felt the other man's arms rest around his shoulders, pressing him against his chest.

"Of course, love."


	2. Warmth in Misery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night continues with Black taking some time to get used to White's new appearance.

“I’ll keep my helmet if you don’t mind. I’m not in the mood to poke myself a new eye socket.”

White scoffed at that, turning his head away from Black. Sitting on his lap, he gripped the soft fur of his cape, which made a guttural growl escape the taller man. He hated getting it tangled, but White deserved a simple warning. From under his visor, Black was observing every detail of the medic’s new appearance. The rows of teeth, the eyes avoiding his gaze. Monstrous. But he could get used to it.

His hand slowly raised to touch White’s cheek -well, he guesstimated where it was-, palm pressing gently against the side of the fangs. It made him tremble, as if he was scared of hurting his friend, but Black softly shushed him.

“Hey. It’s alright. This suit is made to withstand that kind of… thing. As long as you don’t go ham on me, we should be alright.”

A wince came from deep inside White, but he nodded. Even though he had a weaponized face now (hah! the thought made him laugh), he knew how strong Black was. He took down multiple impostors in the past, and he knew he wouldn’t hesitate to snap his neck if he turned feral. That made him sad. Black noticed.

“So. About that tongue. Mind showing it to me again?”

If he was trying to snap him out of his sudden melancholy, it worked like a charm. He didn’t need to think about it twice before the fleshy, unnatural tendril appeared between his ivories. He could almost imagine Black’s eyebrow raising while he pushed his back away from the plush cushion of his massive chair, taking a closer look at the thing.

The tongue itself looked alien- black at the base turning more redder at the tip, with little barb-like protrusion along its sides. When Black took it in his palm, it felt heavy and wet. It also made White gasp and retract it, slamming his mouths shut.

“Oh?”

White’s tremors returned, but this time not from fear. The exposed skin of his neck was turning red, and of course, Black noticed, once again. A low rumble could be heard coming from him, sounding like a pleased purr, betraying his calm facade. White hissed softly at the noise.

“Well that’s interesting, isn’t it, Doc? Don’t you want me to inspect it further? I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

White could _hear_ his damn smile when he spoke. He shook his head, now looking for his helmet, his sudden panic visible in the way his eyes flicked left and right. A chuckle took his attention once again, Black now showing a smug attitude in the way he rested the side of his head against his palm, his glowing eye flashing with malice under the visor.

“Jerk! Stop teasing me, I still don’t know much about my new… biology.”

“Oh I know darling, I’m just pulling your leg. We’ll have more than enough time to make some research- there’s much I’m curious about now.”

The glowing eye trailed from White’s face to his torso, then lower area, before the medic pushed Black’s helmet up again, neck still red with blush. A short laugh interlaced with static was heard before he gently tapped the front of his visor against White’s teeth, lifting him as he got up from his chair.

“Don’t be so prude. Now, we both have a job to do. There’s still another impostor among us, and I wouldn’t want them to think they’re safe because of their growing number. Make sure to get some rest tonight.”

He walked to the door with White still in his arms, picking up his helmet on the way, then let him touch the ground so he could go back to his quarters. The medic reluctantly took a step back, brushing some invisible dust off his jacket. He turned on his heels, heading out.

“Try to rest too, Black. We can see the light of your office from the cafeteria when you stay up all night. We need to stay on edge.”

Black nodded, arms crossed.

“Good night, White.”

“You too, Black.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, what's happening y'all. The creative fairy decided to slam an art block on my ass so I got petty and started writing instead. Since my handle is different from here, y'can find me on Twitter @HungryKuroneko !


	3. Broken glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It didn't take long for White to be noticed by someone else.

The first sun hung low in the horizon when White woke up, popping his back before getting out of bed once again. He lazily dragged the sole of his boots on the floor on the way to the bathroom, a yawn stretching his face -maws- like a cat’s. By the time he grabbed his toothbrush, his gaze met his reflection’s, and he stared at it for a while. Right.

He looked down at his toothbrush, wondering how he was gonna proceed. Getting minty paste in his eyes didn’t sound like a good time, but he still had hundreds of needles to clean. Putting down the brush, he opted for a towel instead, dampening it with water before gently rubbing it against the teeth, careful not to pierce the cloth. It took a few minutes, but once he was done, he felt much cleaner.

Cleaner, huh?  
One thing he couldn’t remember from last night was the disposal of Orange’s leftovers. The smell of blood, that he could recall. But the act itself escaped his mind. Maybe that was for the best. Or was it now?

Too much thinking, and way too early. Maybe something _did_ take over him, but only close to feeding time. He’d ponder about it later; for the moment, he had a job to do. Walking out of the bathroom, he put on the rest of his outfit before heading to the med bay, making sure he wasn’t followed. Not that he was scared of the other impostor, now that he was one, but he knew how dangerous a wary crewmate could be.

* * *

The first half of the day went on with no issue, as no meeting was called for Orange; everyone already reported to Black directly, and he had spent the night going over the information he managed to get from the crew. Closing the file in front of him, he let out a sigh, sliding slightly into his chair. A moment passed before he got up, going on his way to check on the local medic.

* * *

The med bay’s door opened with a hiss, making White jump slightly. He put down the vials he was holding, turning to see who came in. Crimson filled his vision, a flash of blood- nausea raised in his throat, until he realized it was just Red standing in front of him, head tilted.

“You okay there doc? You look pale. Hah. Sorry, that one was too easy.”

An awkward chuckle left White as he looked away from the other man, black dots invading his vision for a second before he chased them with a blink. His guts were twisting, and he didn’t know if it was from hunger or fear.

“Sorry, I didn’t sleep much after what… Happened last night. I’m a bit jumpy today.”

He tried his best to focus on the samples, but Red’s bright suit kept pulling his attention towards him. He gave up, turning his chair so he was facing the other, one hand resting on the desk.

“So, how may I help-”

The sentence died in his throat, a miserable squeak coming out instead as he felt a blade pressing into his neck. Red was looming over him, visor inches from his, but he couldn’t see his features under the tinted glass.

“I’m glad you asked. Say, do you know where the rest of Orange went? I was on garbage duty and didn’t see him anywhere when getting the trash out.”

Pearls of sweat quickly covered White’s body, his bodysuit sticking uncomfortably close to his skin. He was paralyzed in fear, eyes darting between Red’s face and the door, hoping someone would come in- but his wishes were ignored, a soft wince escaping from him as the knife threatened to cut through his collar.

“I don’t know… I don’t know! I- Red please, don't-”

For a split second, he was certain he was gonna die. _That’s it_ , he thought. _That’s what happens to impostors who “don’t know”_. But then, Red burst into a fit of cackles, the ugly, horrific laugh filling White’s ears.

“Wow, you’re terrible at that! How the fuck did you escape Black? I saw you go to his office last night, ‘was sure you were dead meat.”

White’s chest was still rising rapidly, his heart pumping like crazy after the wild ride he just went on. And it seemed like it wasn’t over- he almost screamed when Red’s visor split into two, the broken glass now looking like sharp, jagged teeth. He could see a bunch of tendrils wiggling inside the helmet, the view almost making him feel sick. So Red was the other impostor.

“What, do I have something on my face? Come on now, you’re acting kind of _suspicious_.”

Silence fell and White let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, bending over to press his head against his palms. Right, impostors could detect other impostors. If only he had more time to prepare for that kind of situation, maybe he wouldn’t have froze like a deer in the headlights. Did Red know he was still himself? Unlikely. Would he kill him if he realized? Probably.

“Please. You just took me by surprise. You’d know I’m usually good at it if I managed to fool Black.”

The tendrils in Red’s face twitched, then coiled on themselves like snakes. White took it as him relaxing, finally releasing the tension that had built in his shoulders. Slowly, the visor of his helmet seemed to fuse back together, until he looked like any other crewmate.

“You two seem close. I can’t get far into my old memories, but I never expected you to be an impostor before I took over this one. Playing the long game? Going for Black, maybe?”

White opened his mouths, still thinking about what he would say to reply without causing Red to doubt him. But before he could potentially blow his cover, he heard the hiss of the doors, Black’s figure now entering the room.

“Oh hey there boss! Any news about the case?” Red asked.

Black walked to the two men, noting White’s nervousness. Was he being interrogated? Hands linked between his back, he shook his head, looking down at Red.

“Not yet. I’m still trying to piece everything together, but I’m afraid it’s a bit too early to come to conclusions. We’ll have a meeting if something else happens. Keep an eye out for anything weird, and report to me if you have any guess on who the impostor is.”

 _Is_. White didn’t know if Black used singular to cover him, or because he didn’t consider him as one. Both ideas did make him feel a bit better, though. But still. Red was the impostor, standing right here- and he knew about his situation, mostly. He had to think fast; if they wanted to protect the rest of the crew, Red needed to die.

“Say, Black- did you get anything back about the Scarlet? You know, the ship that got overrun with impostors. Blood everywhere, enough to cover one’s suit.”

Okay, not the best attempt at being subtle, but Black got the message quicker than he expected him to. Red did as well. What happened next seemed like a blur; Red yelling at White for being a traitor, Black managing to duck and avoid most of the tendrils whipping in his direction, only getting his suit lacerated. The shine of a blade blinded White for a second, before he heard a sickening squelch.

He opened his eyes to Black falling on one knee, clutching the knife’s handle tight. His breath was labored but he was still staring at Red, who’s visor had split again, his attention turned to White. His voice came out mixed with broken gargles.

“How fucking dare you! No wonder he let you live, you traitor! I should’ve known, that’s why I had no doubt about you before- but how did you blend with us, huh? How-”

Another gushing sound resonated in the room, gore falling from the wound that was now connecting Red’s neck to his left thigh, zigzagging along his torso. Black was struggling to stay up, but once Red collapsed, he could clearly see White’s face, mouths open, his previously harmless tongue now covered in razor sharp needles.

White was shaking, tasting blood in his mouth. Foul, irony. _Sustaining_. His eyes darted between the body and Black, still down. He wanted to help him, his mind screamed at him to do it; but something else was trying to take over, wanting to feed. His helmet hit the floor at the same time his teeth sunk into Red’s body. The flesh tasted bitter, and strangely, salty. It’s only later he realized it was because he was sobbing, tears running between his stained ivories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just trying to get as much as I can out of my system before my inspiration fizzles out hah. Also, I like to think impostors are infected by some kind of parasite; Red was taken not long ago, thus why he trusted White at first, and White kept most of his his mind since the infection was caused by samples.


	4. Blood and honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Red is dead, Black and White need to figure out a way out of this mess. One step at the time.

A hiss of pain escaped from Black, White now tending to his injury. According to him, he got lucky; Red hit him in the rib cage, and the blade got stuck between two bones. Luck or not, it hurt like a bitch, even after getting patched up. The knife was now laying in a metal tray, covered in his blood. It was a fine weapon, at least. One more for his collection.

“There. Try to rest and avoid sudden movements. I’ll change your bandages twice a day, and coat the wound with some more paste once it’s mostly closed. Should take a day or two at most.”

White was only wearing his bodysuit and boots, the rest soaking in a disinfectant bath. His eyes were avoiding Black’s gaze, still ashamed of the lack of control he showed earlier. Would he do the same in front of another crewmate? Getting caught face down chewing on someone would definitely trigger an emergency meeting.

“Thank you. For that, and for killing Red.”

Black was now standing up, a hand gently squeezing White’s shoulder. The medic did his best to smile- the rows of teeth covering his face curving at the tips as much as his skin would allow them to. It was grotesque, but Black managed to identify the expression.

“It was mostly instinct, to be honest. I’ll have to work on my new impulses.”

The taller man nodded, turning his attention to the pile of mangled flesh still on the floor. Red’s remains were spread on the white tiles like a gorey carpet, leftovers from White’s previous lunch. They had to do something about that.

“Do you think there’s enough space in the freezer for this? Could be handy if you get hungry again. Plus I’m sure no one else is gonna put their nose in there. Unless it’s another body.”

The macabre joke made White visibly cringe, sucking in air between his teeth before he squinted at Black. _Too soon_ , his reaction said, but he did have a point. They couldn’t simply carry the corpse around the ship, and he had to keep some food in case of emergency. Head now in the freezer, shoving boxes and samples on the sides to optimize the space, he wondered if he could still eat regular food. That’d be something to test; and he hoped he could. Otherwise, he’d miss pizza days.

With the help of Black, White scraped what was left of the other impostor from the floor and unceremoniously dumped everything in the frosted box, covering the top with a dark cloth. The next hour was spent cleaning the med bay, until it seemed like nothing happened. White was even wearing his whole outfit again.

“Well that’s one down. With the low number of incidents we had in the past week, I’m pretty sure it was the only impostor we had. Should be quiet for at least a few days.”

Holding his side, Black turned to white, watching him fidget with the rim of his glove. He was preoccupied - and honestly, he couldn’t blame him. He did eat half of a dead guy in front of his romantic partner. Good thing Black was, well, Black. It was hard to make him freak out.

“Hey. It’s alright. I’m here for you.”

White’s shoulder jumped when he got pulled against Black’s chest, feeling him squeeze his worries away. He nuzzled as much as he could with the helmet on, closing his eyes. It felt good, felt _normal_. He cried for a while, releasing some of his built up stress. 

They were sitting in one of the beds when he finally calmed down, White head resting against Black. It was silent, in and out of the med bay. No alarm, no report. Everyone was tending to their tasks, but theirs could wait for now.

“May I speak?” Black asked, arm wrapped around White. He looked down, feeling him nod.

“There’s a lot we need to figure out, but there’s also things to do so you won’t be suspected. I saw Red threatening you in the med bay and attacked him from behind; you splashed him with acid so he would get off me. You still have some, right?”

White nodded again.

“Good. You’ll get some on my suit so it looks plausible. We cleaned the mess so there would be no hazard. He managed to stab me, but you tended to my wounds. Then you ran some tests on me to be sure I didn’t get infected. That’s what we’re doing now I guess.”

Black was still looking at his partner, checking for any opposition. He didn’t move, simply listening to him.

“There’s already a good base of trust around you, I know that much. The only problem is that we didn’t ring any alarm. Someone may have seen Red, or even myself come in; we can’t really lie about the time frame. Let’s hope no one is gonna get too curious.”

A whine of protest came from White when Black gently pushed him, getting up. He brushed his jacket, then fluffed up the fur of his cape, interlocking his claws behind his back.

“I’m afraid it’s time to get to work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like most things I do, I don't plan ahead for this fic; not sure where I'm gonna go with it, but it'll need to wait a bit since I gotta get back to art and commissions!  
> EDIT: Thanks a lot for the interest in this fic! I'm ending this part now - if I do come back to it, it will most likely be a time skip and shenanigans/one shots! I wanted to write a little introduction for White's new impostor status, and I'm still baffled that I dragged it in 4 chapters lmao. Hope it was a nice read!


End file.
